Apple Cracks its Restrictive Whip on Mac App Store

Apple Cracks its Restrictive Whip on Mac App Store

Apple is once again cracking its proverbial whip in outlining further restrictions relating to its soon-to-be launched Mac App Store. Developers have been notified that some changes are coming, at least in terms of how the Mac App Store will work in relation to Apple's other app stores. Arguably the biggest differentiating factor is that trial versions of software are strictly prohibited.

Apple laid down the law via updates on its News and Announcements for Apple Developers last night. Devs are busy digesting the news today, as the Mac App Store nears completion for an early 2011 roll out. In the message to developers, Apple tells its devs that "Your website is the best place to provide demos, trial versions, or betas of your software for customers to explore." Looking to avoid the bugs of beta, Apple says the apps you submit to be reviewed for the Mac App Store "should be fully functional, retail versions of your apps."

Understandably, this change of policy for the Mac App Store represents a significant change of pace from that which developers have grown accustomed from the iOS App Store policies. Given that "lite" incarnations and free trials of apps often result in top downloaded bursts of activity for developers, the news comes as quite a blow to many devs who today are once again bemoaning more restrictive shenanigans on the part of Apple.